Research for the 2016 ranking comes from Glassdoor-approved company reviews shared by US-based employees between May 2, 2015 and May 1, 2016, explained Glassdoor Community Expert Jessica Jaffe. To be eligible, large companies must have at least 100 CEO approval ratings and 100 senior management ratings. Small and medium companies must have at least 35 of each.

Employees who submit reviews are asked to provide feedback on the pros and cons of working for their employer, offer advice for management, and rate factors tied to their experience, including their CEO's leadership. When rating the CEO, employees are given three options: approve, disapprove, or no opinion.

There are a few common themes among the top CEOs, explained Jaffe. Those who rank highly are typically cited by employees as strong leaders, dedicated to the company mission and culture, providers of leadership and growth opportunities, personable, approachable, and transparent.

The top tech CEOs share several of these desired traits, which earned them high approval among employees.

"Employees at these companies like the strong, mission-driven culture led by the CEO," said Jaffe. "Employees also appreciate the transparent leadership style exercised at companies like Facebook and Salesforce, and employees like the top-down emphasis on making a real impact on the world at companies like Google and Apple."

Transparency in leadership is especially valued among tech employees, and was a common theme in this year's rankings. Jaffe noted this is a key trait that leaders outside the IT industry can learn from their peers in tech.

Who are the top CEOs in tech, and why do employees enjoy working at their companies? Once you've reviewed our look at Glassdoor's highest-rated tech leaders, tell us what you think. Are you surprised to see any of these names? Are there other tech CEOs you would add to the list? Tell us all about it in the comments section below.

Kelly Sheridan is the Staff Editor at Dark Reading, where she focuses on cybersecurity news and analysis. She is a business technology journalist who previously reported for InformationWeek, where she covered Microsoft, and Insurance & Technology, where she covered financial ... View Full Bio

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